Broom



APPLICATION FILE D N 0 V l 8 l 9 2 0.

1,393,215. 1 Patented oet, 11,1921.v

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 11, 1921.

Application filed November 1S, 1920. Serial No. 424,967.

To all whom' t may concern Be it known that I, WALTER GRAY, a citizen ot the United States, residing at lVashington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certaink new and useful Improvements in Brooms; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ot the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in brooms and more particularly to those o the type in which the broom straws are removable from a hollow broom head or casing when excessively. worn, so that new bristles or straws may be inserted.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a novel construction and arrangement oi' parts located entirely within the hollow broom head, and actuated by movement of the broom handle for clamping or releasing the bundle of broom straws as oecasion may demand.

In carrying out the above end, I make use ot numerous novel features of construction and unique arrangements of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, the descriptive matter being supplemented by the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a broom constructed in accordance with my invention.

F ig. 2 is a vertical transverse section as indicated by line 22 oi' Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view as shown by line 3 3 of Fig. 1.A

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view ot the lower end of the hollow broom head.

In the drawings above briefly described, the numeral l designates a casing which is preferably termed from sheet metal, the lower end oi said head being entirely open while at its upper end it is preferably although not necessarily provided with an upstanding tubular neck 2. Secured to the neck or to any other appropriate part of the casing 1, and extending centrally into the latter, is a vertical tube 3 which is rigidly mounted. This tube rotatably receives the lower end oi the broom handle 4, which end carries a conical wedge 5 from which a coarsely pitched screw 6 depends, said screw being received in a nut 7 at the lower end of the tube 3, so that rotation of the handle will cause the wedge 5 to move upwardly or downwardly as required to operate the broom clamp described below.

In the present showing, the nut 7 is formed by the wall oi' an opening through a horizontal partition S which extends across the casing 1, the portion of said casing below said` partition forming a socket to receive the upper end of a bundle or' broom straws 9. This partition is preferably employed and by reference to `Fig. 1, it will be seen that the lower end oil the tube 9 may be effectively braced by securing said tube to the partition, tor instance by tacks 10. A pair of clamping jaws or plates 11 are positioned in the casingl below the partition 8, saidv jaws or plates being carried by the lower ends olf a pair of. upright levers 12 which are fulcrumed at 133 to the tube 3, said levers being received in notches 14 in opposite sides oi the partition 8 as seen most clearly, in I? ig. Coincident with the notches 14, the tube 3 is provided with vertical slots itlirough which the levers 12 pass to the interior oi'. said tube in position to contact with the conical wedge 5. It thus follows that as said wedge is moved downwardly by rotating the handle 4 in one direction, the upper ends of the levers are spready apart, thereby moving their lower ends inwardly toward each other to effectively clamp the broom straws 9 between the jaws 11. By turning the handle in the other direction, the wedge 5 is raised so that the levers 12 will release the jaws 11, thereby permitting an old bundle oi broom straws to be removed for the insertion of new ones.v

To insure proper spreading of the jaws 11 and consequent release of the broom straws 9, when the wedge 5 is raised, I preferably provide the open lower end of the casing 1 with a pair of hooks 2O which extend inwardly from opposite sides thereof and hook around the low-er portions of said jaws as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, and I employ a `spring loop 21 which is located within the lower end of said casing to normally exert an outward thrust on the sides oi said head. The sides of the spring loop 21 may well be supported by the hooks 20, while its ends may be held by any suitable means such as short flanges 22 as seen in Figs. 1 and 4. As soon as the wedge 5 is released, the spring 21 acts to bulge the sides of the casing 1 outwardly, thereby causing the hooks 2() to pull upon the jaws 11 and open the latter,

thereby allowing the old broom straws to be easily removed and new ones inserted.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that although my invention is of coinparatively simple and inexpensive nature,

it will be hffhly elCient and in @Very Will" desirable. ince excellent results may be obtained from the details disclosed, such` details may well be followed, but within the scope of the invention as claimed, numerous changes may be made.

I claim;

l. A broom comprising a casing open at its lower end, a vertical tube extending downwardly into said casing, a fixed nut at the lower end of said tube, a handle rotatably received in said tube and provided on its lower end with a conical wedge and a 'screw depending from said wedge, said screw being threaded in said nut, a. pair of clamping jaws in the lower end of said casing, and a pair of vertical levers carrying said jaws, the upper ends of said levers being in contact with .said wedge.

2. A broom comprising a casing open at its lower end and provided between its ends with a horizontal partition having a Central threaded opening7 a fixed tube rising from said partition to the top of the casing and having slots, a pair of clamping jaws in said casing below said partition, vertical levers fulcrurned on said tube and carrying said jaws, the upper ends of said levers extending through said slots into said tube, a han dle rotatablyreceived in said tube and having at its lower end a conical wedge between the upper ends of said levers, and a screw depending from said wedge into said threaded opening, said partition having notches receiving said levers.

3. The combinationA with a easing open at its lower end, a pair of jaws within said casing and positioned adjacent opposite sides thereof for clamping broom straws in place, and means for moving said-jaws toward each other; of connecting means between said jaws and the sides of said casing, and spring means for outwardly bulging the sides of said casing when the jaws are released.

et. The combination with a casing open at its lower end, a pair of jaws within said head and positioned adjacent opposite-sides thereof for clamping broom straws in place, and means for-moving said jaws toward each other; of hooks on the sides of said casing embracing said jaws,A and a spring loop within said lower end of said casing and supported by said hooks, said spring loop serving to outwardly bulge the sides of said casing when said jaws are released.

ln testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

WALTER GRAY. 

